Sept 28 (Reuters) - Unions plan a pan-European walkout or rallies on Wednesday in protest against austerity measures. Here are details of some of the major recent and forthcoming protests in European countries.
* FRANCE -- PENSION REFORM:
June 24 -- Nationwide strikes against pension reforms, challenging President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sept 7 -- Trade unions mounted strikes and street protests against plans to raise the retirement age to 62 from 60 by 2018.
Sept 22/23 - Union-organised strikes in protest at the pension reforms disrupted schools, forced airlines to cancel 40-50 percent of flights and halved intercity rail services.
* GREECE -- AUSTERITY AND PENSION REFORMS:
May 4-5 -- Public sector workers staged a 48-hour nationwide strike. On May 5, a 50,000-strong protest in Athens led to violence in which demonstrators fought police and three people were killed in a petrol bomb attack on a bank.
June 23 -- Communist trade unionists prevented travellers from boarding ships at Greece's largest port.
June 29 -- Police fired teargas at rioters shouting "burn parliament" in Athens. About 12,000 people joined marches during a 24-hour strike against plans to raise the retirement age to 65 for all.
July 8 -- About 12,000 people marched against pension reform in the unions' sixth 24-hour strike against austerity measures.
Sept 11 -- About 20,000 people marched through the city of Thessaloniki.
Sept 21 - About 2,000 truck drivers chanting "Thieves, thieves, thieves" marched in Athens to protest against a bill which would open their sector to greater competition.
-- Public sector union ADEDY called a 24-hour strike on Oct. 7 to protest against wage and pension cuts.
-- ADEDY, which numbers half a million civil servants, asked the country's highest court to nullify the memorandum the government signed with the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund in exchange for emergency funding.
Sept 22 - Lawmakers voted to open up road freight to competition, prompting angry truck drivers to block the two main roads to Athens and clash with police in front of parliament.
Sept 23 - Communist group PAME and smaller unions representing workers, retailers, farmers and students held a protest rally at Omonoia Square in central Athens.
* SPAIN -- LABOUR REFORM, AUSTERITY:
June 8 - The two largest unions said up to 75 percent of 2.3 million public sector workers joined a strike against planned labour reforms.
June 22 - Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's minority government won approval for its labour reform bill in parliament after opposition parties abstained.
June 30 - Underground rail workers walked off the job for a third day, affecting 2 million commuters.
* ITALY -- AUSTERITY:
June 12 - Thousands marched in Rome against cuts in funding to local authorities and a freeze on public sector salaries.
June 25 - The CGIL, Italy's biggest union with 6 million members, held rallies in Rome, Milan and other cities to try to force the government to redraft its austerity package.
October - Italian unions plan a nationwide demonstration in early October to press for tax reforms, but Italy's relatively smooth passage through the crisis has contained labour unrest.
* GERMANY -- AUSTERITY:
June 12 - Thousands protested against Germany's biggest austerity drive since World War Two after Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet unveiled plans for 80 billion euros ($96 billion) in budget cuts and tax rises over four years.
Sept 20 - German steelworkers sent a message to employers announcing the start of limited work stoppages, intended to strengthen the hand of 85,000 workers in wage negotiations.
* ROMANIA -- AUSTERITY:
Sept 22 - Thousands of Romanian clerks, nurses and teachers marched through the capital Bucharest protesting against tax hikes and state sector wage cuts. The government faces a no confidence vote in parliament next month over the measures, required under a 20 billion euros IMF-led aid package.
* CZECH REPUBLIC -- AUSTERITY:
Sept 21 - Around 40,000 nurses, police officers and clerks marched through Prague to protest against a plan to cut public sector wages.
* PORTUGAL -- AUSTERITY:
May 29 - Thousands marched in Lisbon against measures including tax rises and cuts in pay and spending. The rally was the first display of popular discontent since May 13.
* POLAND -- AUSTERITY:
Sept 22 -- Around 5,000 public service workers, including policemen and firemen, protested in central Warsaw against plans to freeze their salaries in 2011.
* BRITAIN -- AUSTERITY:
Sept 7 - A 24-hour strike by workers on London's underground rail system disrupted much of the network. Staff plan further strikes on Oct 3, Nov 2, Nov 28 in protest against 800 job cuts.
Sept 12 - The coalition government defended plans to cut the welfare bill. One transport union leader called for coordinated industrial action and civil disobedience.
* SLOVENIA -- AUSTERITY:
Sept 27 - About a half of Slovenia's public sector went on strike to protest against the government's plan to freeze their wages until the end of 2011.
-- Trade unions have warned that they will protest against the government pension reform plan which raises the retirement age to 65 for all from 57 for women and 58 for men at present. (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)